Qiao Zilin sent Long Zhenting off to bathe while she prepared to enter her space. She had been wondering if she could bring another person inside; if so, she wouldn’t have to handle everything alone and could let Long Zhenting take over some of the chores.
“Husband, let me take you somewhere,” she said, taking his hand as she prepared to enter.
She recalled Xiao Bai mentioning that living things couldn’t enter, but her farm was full of chickens and ducks. It seemed her soul-crossing had altered the space’s rules.
In an instant, Long Zhenting’s surroundings shifted. Stunned, he asked, “Wife, is this your secret space?”
Qiao Zilin nodded. “Yes.”
Sensing the smell of sweat on herself, she quickly slipped into the bathroom for a cold shower. Afterward, she showed Long Zhenting how to use the modern fixtures before heading to the study. Her modern cottage had naturally followed her farm into this space.
In the study, her computer emitted a series of pings. She found a message in an old-goods acquisition group from Mr. Huang, who was seeking ancient ceramics at high prices.
This thrilled Qiao Zilin. She remembered the cache of gold, silver, and jewelry she had collected in a cave on the way to Lingnan, which included porcelain. She hurried to the storage room, where the glow of night pearls lit up the space. Deciding they would make excellent lamps, she grabbed two and headed for the crates.
She found the chest labeled for ceramics and opened it to find exquisite pieces arranged neatly. Not caring about their specific history, she grabbed two, knowing that genuine ancient items would cover their living expenses for a long time.
Returning to the study, she met a freshly bathed Long Zhenting. “Wife, why are you holding those vases?” he asked.
“To sell them!” she replied happily.
“Sell? To where?” Long Zhenting was utterly bewildered.
Qiao Zilin sat down and began typing rapidly. “Hello, I have some ceramics. Want to see?”
The buyer replied almost instantly: “Yes.”
She aimed her camera at the pieces, and the clear images were sent off. The buyer was shocked. “Top-tier! The finest I’ve seen—even color, bright and clear. I’ll take both.”
Qiao Zilin set the prices: 12,000 for the white porcelain and 48,000 for the celadon. The buyer paid immediately, and the porcelain vanished instantly as the transaction completed.
Long Zhenting stood frozen in shock. “Wife, you just sold them like that? And what is this glowing divine tool?”
“Husband, this is online shopping and digital trading. You choose, you pay, and the goods are delivered.”
“Incredible. This space is like magic,” he marveled.
“Haha, alright, it’s late. Let’s sleep.” With a flash, they exited the space.
The next morning, the sound of commotion outside woke Qiao Zilin. Shiyi had moved incredibly fast to bring the craftsmen. After a quick cleanup and a couple of boiled eggs, she headed out.
“This blueprint is marvelous! Lord Long, whose handiwork is this?” a voice asked.
Long Zhenting replied proudly, “My wife drew it.”
Master Guan, the old craftsman, was astonished that a woman had designed something so unique. “Wonderful. Lady Long is truly gifted.”
“Madam is here,” Shiyi announced.
Master Guan looked at the young, beautiful girl, hardly believing she was the architect. “Little lady, how did you conceive this? The layout is unlike anything I’ve seen, yet it’s exceptionally good.”
“That…” Qiao Zilin hesitated on how to address him.
“My surname is Guan. You may call me Grandpa Guan,” the old man introduced himself.
Grandpa? Do people in ancient times love being grandpas so much? she thought. The design was a blend of modern utility and ancient aesthetics, but she couldn’t explain that. “Grandpa Guan, I saw something similar in a book of miscellaneous travels and incorporated those ideas.”
Master Guan was full of praise, assuming she had a natural genius for design. Qiao Zilin joked, “If you keep praising me, I might get too proud!”
“By the way,” Master Guan asked, “this latrine in your design—can it really be built like this?”
Qiao Zilin nodded. “This design is clean, odorless, and keeps the mosquitoes away.” She had designed a modern squat toilet, as the traditional ancient latrines were something she simply couldn’t accept.
Master Guan was intrigued. If this worked, wealthy families would clamor for it. He rubbed his hands and smiled. “Little lady, would you consider selling this blueprint to me?”
Qiao Zilin waved a hand dismissively. “Grandpa Guan, I’ll give it to you!”
“Give it to me? Truly?” He was stunned. A design like this could be worth hundreds or thousands of taels—it was a person’s livelihood.
“Truer than pearls!” she chirped. She had plenty more modern designs in her head; one blueprint meant nothing to her.
Master Guan was moved to tears by her generosity. He vowed to himself that he would build her the most beautiful house imaginable.